Category: creativity

creativity

Wonder: You can change your reality by changing your perspective

Christa Avampato

On Monday, someone was really stressing me out. Or at least I thought they were. I was stressing myself out with things I didn’t need to worry about. My situation wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t what I expected it to be. And I let someone else make a bigger deal out of something than it really is.

I woke up on Tuesday morning after a somewhat fitful night’s sleep, and decided to change my perspective on the incident. I used the trick my friend, Alex, so often reminds me of – 3 months from now I won’t even remember why I got so ruffled on Monday. I probably won’t even remember the name of the person who bothered me. I let myself 3 months older counsel me and tell me that everything is fine now and will be even more fine with just a little bit of time.

And you know what? It worked. And as Brian and my former boss Bob G. so often tell me, once we decide to do something, the universe rises up as a great ally. We change our whole world by changing our mind.

creativity

Wonder: Handling fear that comes with a big step

Christa Avampato

A big step in life, even if it’s a welcome and wonderful thing, still carries some fear with it. That happened to me yesterday. It looks like I’ll be making a big change ahead of schedule. I was planning to make this change in about a year but for reasons I never saw coming, I need to make it sooner rather than later. Off and on all day, my heart would race, my breath would get shallow, and my mind wandered. I needed some grounding so I sat down, closed my eyes, put my hands on my heart, and just focused on my breath.

What I realized is that it’s the anticipation of taking the big step that is scarier than actually taking it, whether that step is a new job, a new home, a move, or a drastic change in routine. Once we know we need to adapt to a new reality, we just do. Then we go on and do the best we can. And so, I did. Thanks to the many friends who helped me to see that this is the right way forward.

creativity

Wonder: A dream emerges from the NYC subway and into the light

Christa Avampato

Alice Tan Ridley is a woman on the rise, literally and figuratively. One of the amazing things about New York City that I always miss now that I live in Washington, D.C. is the presence of music everywhere. It’s especially prevalent in the New York subway, and for 30 years, Alice Tan Ridley was one of those subway performers. She’s 63.

Now she’s about to release a new album, appropriately titled “Never Lost My Way”, and this time that release will be done with an event at the Highline Ballroom in Chelsea. It’s always encouraging to see people’s dreams rise up and into the light. It’s my great hope that she is only at the very beginning of a long line of successes. Let her voice, and the story behind her rise, fill the ears of everyone who needs hope, encouragement, and, of course, the healing power of music.

Read more about her story at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/nyregion/alice-tan-ridley-subway-singer-gets-the-spotlight-after-years-underground.html?smid=tw-share.

creativity

Wonder: Happy 7th birthday to my pup Phineas

Christa Avampato

Happy 7th birthday to this sweet little monkey. Phineas is my dog who is 16 pounds of love and loyalty. I’m so lucky he adopted me! I’m going to make sure he enjoys his day.

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creativity

Wonder: Finding your way forward thanks to Edward Albee

Christa Avampato

“Sometimes it’s necessary to go a long distance out-of-the-way in order to come back a short distance correctly.” ~Edward Albee

Yesterday when I learned about the playwright Edward Albee’s passing, this is the first quote of his that came to my mind. Maybe you feel like you’ve taken a step back on some area of your life. Maybe you’re frustrated because you don’t think you’re making the progress you’d like to make. I understand. I’ve been there so many times. And I can tell you this: life often takes us the long way around because it has something to teach us that we can only learn by taking a journey. The only way I’ve found to survive this without losing my mind is to make every effort to learn as much as I can wherever I am. That perspective has made all the difference for me, and I hope it will for you, too. And Mr. Albee, thank you for teaching all of us about finding our path, boldly, bravely, and honestly.

creativity

Wonder: 71-year-old ballerina at Royal Academy of Dance proves it’s never too late to make a dream come true

Christa Avampato

Doreen Pechey just proved to the world that it’s never too late for any dream to come true. As a child, she loved the ballet and would save up her money to attend performances. Her family didn’t have enough money to pay for lessons nor for the costumes needed to perform. At age 71, she just passed the Grade 6 exam at the Royal Academy of Dance, a record for the company. She started taking lessons 10 years ago at age 61 and continued with her training despite having knee replacement surgery two years ago. We no longer have age as an excuse to let go of a dream. With effort, determination, and love everything is possible. So dust off those childhood dreams. It’s time to make them happen.

creativity

Wonder: Looking fear in the face and writing anyway

Christa Avampato

Yesterday I started a scary process: writing query letters to agents. My fingers hovered over my keyboard, shaking. What was so hard about presenting my work and asking someone to consider representing me? Good old-fashioned rejection.

And then I reminded myself that every letter, every book, every play that’s ever been written is done in the exact same way – one word at a time. So that’s what I committed to write. One word followed by another followed by another. Letter by letter, I got there and wrote my first one. And so it begins…a little scary, a little trying, and ultimately, hopefully, worthwhile. Emerson deserves to have someone fight for her story.

creativity

Wonder: Real estate is a long game

Christa Avampato

Buying real estate is a long game. One thing I’m learning in this house hunting process is that buying real estate, especially in a city like D.C. that is changing so rapidly, requires you to be forward-looking. And I mean way forward. The neighborhood and the home may not be perfect now; they may not even be close to perfect. I have to make some trade-offs and no matter what my budget is, it will cost more than I want it to cost.

What’s helping me is to imagine myself growing into a space as my life changes over the next few years, as I’m sure it will because doesn’t it always? The process also takes a lot of patience and faith, two things that are in short supply in an active real estate market. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by it all, I take a deep breath and remind myself that when this is all over I’ll be moving into a new place that will truly be my own.

creativity

Wonder: Why I decided to become a charter member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Christa Avampato

“Why would you do that? You’re not black.” This is what someone said to me when I told them I made a donation to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Thanks to Lonnie Bunch, the founding director of the museum, I had an answer. I made a donation because the history that it commemorates and celebrates is America’s story.In history, we are all united, and that’s how I’d like us to be in the world, too. If you make a donation of any size today, Hyundai will match your donation dollar for dollar up to $500,000 as part of the museum’s campaign called Giving Day.

The museum’s stories can teach something to everyone who takes the time to listen to them. Some of the lessons are horrible and painful, and some of them are joyful and inspiring. That’s life—it’s beautiful and terrible in equal amounts. I am humbled by what the staff members of the museum, and so many others who came before them, have done to assemble this treasure of a museum in the city that I now proudly call home. I can’t wait to see it and I’m so glad to be able to support its message of hope. It’s a message we all need. #GiveNMAAHC

creativity

Wonder: When we fall, we have the chance to rise (eventually)

Christa Avampato

It’s okay to fall apart; it’s the only way we can make ourselves whole again. This weekend I was talking to a close friend who’s been having a tough time. I can absolutely relate. There’s a desire to be positive, to see the silver lining, and be grateful for what our misfortunes give us. There’s also an equally strong desire to yell, break things, and act on the frustration. At times, we can feel completely insane and off-balance when we’re in this cycle. It’s okay to feel that way; I certainly have. We have a right to feel all of our feelings, and no one (and I mean no one!) has a right to tell you not to feel the way you do.

There are several points in my life when I’ve felt this way. It’s downright painful and frightening. You feel like you’re losing it. I’ve been in that position, and I’ve also been in that position when I felt completely and totally alone. So here’s a promise I make to every friend I have—with me, you can lose it. Cry, yell, get out whatever thoughts and feelings you need to release. I’m not going to judge you. Not at all. We’ve got to do more for each other to create that safe space. The world will be better off if we can stop putting on a brave face and keeping up appearances. Sometimes, things are just awful and it’s healthy to recognize that. Yes, you’ve eventually got to move on and that can only happen if you can first feel every awful thing you need to feel. We rise, eventually, by first allowing ourselves to fall.